ASSIMILATE Launches SCRATCH WebFeatured News By none
ASSIMILATE launched SCRATCH Web, the first professional cloud-based multi-user collaboration and review tool that offers individual clip, timeline, or timeline+version sharing (SCRATCH CONstruct), and native support for industry-standard RAW camera formats. Now creative professionals in the digital cinema and broadcast industry - from producers, directors, DPs, and DITs, to editors, VFX and post artists - are able to publish RAW material in any format, in any resolution, at any time, from anywhere in the world....Read More »

Orlando Public Library Takes Learning to Another Level with Blackmagic Design ATEM Television StudioProject Profile By none
When many people think of libraries, they think of rows upon rows of books meticulously categorized and alphabetized. Perhaps there are tables with lamps emitting a soft glow and students bent over their studies or readers lost deep in the worlds of their favorite novels. Located in 26,000 square feet of space in the Orlando Public Library, the Melrose Center expands the role of the library by offering access to hardware, software, support and programming to inspire and invigorate creativity. And according to Anthony Torres, video production instructor at the Melrose Center, it's free of charge for library cardholders. ...Read More »

Stan Lee Gets His First Video Game Starring RoleVideo By Clip Syndicate
Legendary super-hero father Stan Lee is famous for his cameos. Now, he's getting his chance to play a starring role in Stan Lee's Hero Command , an upcoming mobile game for iOS and Android. Players pick one of three brand new superheroes in the brawler-style game, but of course the get their marching orders from Lee, whose likeness and voice appear in the game. Jeff Hardy, creative director of F84, said his studio specializes in making games with celebrity partnerships; previously his team released Survival Run with Bear Grylls . Lee did say he wished he could design his own character, but wasn't sure if he could make himself look enough like George Clooney. ...Read More »

Twitter's 'while You were Away' Feature Expands to AndroidVideo By Clip Syndicate
Twitter's new recap feature officially debuted on iOS a month ago, but now "while you were away" has arrived on Android devices. The feature moves away from the chronological format that Twitter has long relied on. Instead of displaying the most recent tweets, "while you were away" also displays the "top" tweets since the last time you've opened the app. It is based on an analysis of tweet engagement and users habits. ...Read More »

Motion Capture x 3Feature By Ko Maruyama
The aptly named iPi Soft upgrade now stands at version 3. It's not just the iteration that follows 2, but it captures up to 3 people at once. Using multiple cameras (up to 16 USB cameras or multiple Kinect 2 sensors), the software allows you to capture and edit motion data on your PC. Later, you can export the data to your favorite 3D software to use as animation data. ...Read More »

Apple Releases the New, Diverse Emoji's That Everyone Has Been Waiting forVideo By Clip Syndicate
Apple is rolling out the new beta of OS X to developers — and, for the first time, the public has a close look at more diverse emoji. Apple has openly acknowledged that emoji lack racial diversity; even the ones that do represent people of color are often criticized as stereotypical. Now, it looks like the Cupertino company is finally making steps in the right direction. Right now, the new slew of emoji only show up on supported devices....Read More »

Martin Scorsese Voices New Apple AdVideo By Clip Syndicate
Apple has released its latest iPad Air 2 ad, just in time for Oscar Sunday. The commercial — which is set to air during the Academy Awards telecast on ABC — features voiceover by director Martin Scorsese and centers on young people using the Apple item to film themselves creating art. Scorsese says in he ad, "For your work, for your passion, every day is a rededication." People are shown shooting video of themselves dancing, painting and working on model airplanes....Read More »

Instagram Revenue Projected to Hit $5.8 Billion in 2020, Analyst SaysVideo By Clip Syndicate
According to new estimates from analysts with Cowen & Co., Facebook 's decision to buy Instagram looks smarter and smarter each year. Instagram, the fast-growing photo-sharing network, is projected to generate about $700 million in revenue this year and $5.8 billion in revenue in 2020. That surge in sales is based on Cowen's surveys of user and advertiser interest as well as projections for Instagram's user numbers to more than double to 680 million by 2020 and for larger advertisers to follow....Read More »

New IRM Encryption Controls from Office 365Feature By Navin Chaturvedi, MetaOption LLC
Office 365 is rapidly cutting across different platforms to make its applications and services available to a larger audience. But even as Office 365 is pushing vigorously to expand its reach to more and more devices, security continues to be amongst its core values. To ensure secure experiences for its users across varying devices and platforms, Office 365 utilizes the best encryption techniques. These techniques are used in two ways; the first way is implementing encryption in the service, and the second one is offering encryption options as customer controls. ...Read More »

iOgrapher At Fit ExpoInterview By Ko Maruyama
iOgrapher is a remarkable product that can turn your iPad or iPhone into a professional field tool for production. Last year, attendees at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) visited the iOgrapher booth to see the framework in action. Since then, iOgrapher has been showing up wherever people are documenting their with iOS video. This weekend, iOgrapher flexed some muscle at The Fit Expo in Los Angeles, showing up where most people are talking about healthy lifestyle options....Read More »

Alan Bell's Unique Editing a la FusionInterview By none
Alan Edward Bell is the editor of The Hunger Games and shares with us today his highly specialized editing techniques. With an early career in a range of positions in visual effects and editing on such projects as "Duplicity," "A Few Good Men," "The Green Mile," "Water for Elephants," "The Amazing Spider-Man," and of course the more recent "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," and "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay" Parts 1 and 2, Alan Bell explains why Fusion is a fundamental part of his very unique editing with compositing process....Read More »

Cinematiq Pilots Film Festivals Nationwide with AJA Ki Pros Featured News By none
Indie filmmaker and Cinematiq Founder Aaron Owen understands the blood, sweat and tears that go into launching a film on the festival circuit. Inspired by a passion to help emerging talent, he formed Cinematiq in 2013, and brought John Crossley on board as Executive Producer. Together, the duo manages content for film festivals across America, in addition to offering transcoding, conversion, standardization and disc-based authoring services for indie filmmakers. To screen each film reliably at the highest quality, they've formulated a file-based workflow that banks on AJA Ki Pros for playback via venue projectors. ...Read More »

The Pixel LabFeature By Ko Maruyama
For several years, owner and designer Joren Kandel has been posting beautiful 3D models on his website: The Pixel Lab. In addition to several free models that are routinely posted on the website, The Pixel Lab has recently offered a bundle of wonderfully detailed 3D objects that will allow you to create a shopping scene....Read More »

Boris FXFeature By Ko Maruyama
Boris Continuum Complete 9 brings over 200 effects to After Effects and Premiere Pro. There are so many different effects in the Continuum package that looking at the overall package can be a little overwhelming, but the comprehensive package will allow you to take on a huge array of visual effects challenges....Read More »

DAZ3D PrintsQuick Peek By Ko Maruyama
DAZ 3D software has been an affordable and easy way for people to begin exploring 3D models and creating beautiful scenes quickly. Now, DAZ is offering a way to get 3D characters from your screen to your hand. 3D prints of models built within the Genesis 2 system are supported. Printed people (and a dragon) for people who print....Read More »

StuffIt Deluxe 16Product Review By Ko Maruyama
While you might think that there isn't a whole lot that you can say about compressing your files, there are a bunch of us old macheads that remember our first, Stuffit. Smith Micro recently brought out StuffIt Deluxe 16, which is long overdue, but still a welcome addition to your Mac toolkit, and yes, it does '.zip' formats as well....Read More »

Digital Juice Pilot ProProduct Review By Ko Maruyama
Digital Juice has been around as a company for nearly two decades, serving up stock footage for editors of all kinds. In the early days, Digital Juice delivered physical media to members. These days, the company is expanding the way it does business, so you can expand your business. The Pilot program is similar to a beta launch phase, but you're not on your own, Digital Juice Community embedded in the subscription will help everyone out....Read More »

VideoCopilot Element 3DProduct Review By Ko Maruyama
It's been about 2 years since VideoCopilot introduced the Element 3D plugin for After Effects. Now, Version 2 is out, delivering more control over the ability to integrate 3D models, textures, lights, and animation using many of the Adobe After Effects controls that you're already familiar with....Read More »

2014 RoundUpProduct Review By Ko Maruyama
As 2014 comes to an end, there are some products we've seen this year that continue to look good, moving forward into 2015. Although we'll see lots of new tech at CES 2015, there are some great products that you can get without waiting. Beacon Audio has a small bluetooth speaker that you can take with you wherever you want to enjoy audio. ...Read More »

MAXON'S NEWESTProduct Review By Ko Maruyama
Once you learn a piece of 3D software, it?s hard to switch into another piece of software. The language of good 3D design and animation doesn?t change, but the interface and toolset does change when you switch between software packages. However, switching between something your comfortable with and CINEMA4D is even easier now. So making the transition between what you?re using now and R16 doesn?t have to be an On/Off operation....Read More »

Pinnacle Studio 18Product Review By Ko Maruyama
Pinnacle has been around for a long time, and, as the version number implies, Pinnacle Studio has undergone several changes since it was first launched. Pinnacle Studio 18 is a robust consumer editoral system for anyone who is interested in getting into video editing. Moreover, it contains other tools to help create and publish your editorial content. ...Read More »

RED GIANT OFFLOADProduct Review By Ko Maruyama
It's a media copy application for easily backup and - hey - OFFLOADING your footage from a removable camera media card to somewhere else. Simple enough for almost anyone on set to use....Read More »

Vectoraster by LostMindsProduct Review By Ko Maruyama
Vectorizer for the Mac (and iOS) allows you to create fantastic shape based translations of raster artwork or photography with just a few clicks. The great part about this new software is that it is really easy to use. Like any good design software, it?s full of options that will allow you to create unique pieces, even when you?re starting from presets....Read More »

Quick Sketching with Ron HusbandBook Review By Ko Maruyama
The first thing you should know about this book is that Ron Husband is not only a great teacher but an amazing animator who has worked on several movies, including Beauty and the Beast, The Fox and the Hound, The Black Cauldron, The great Mouse Detective, The little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Lion King and others you might share on your favorites list too....Read More »